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Temporary storage of art treasures requires you to take a few precautions in order to keep your paintings and canvases from deteriorating. If you are moving house or need a place to stash personal items for a short amount of time—including art you have collected or created—you can do so with minimal fuss. Remember, however, that you should never put valuable artwork or canvases into self-storage units in the long-term.

Pre-Storage Dusting and Cleaning

If canvases and frames are dusty, give them a gentle cleaning before packing them away. Wipe down dusty frames with a slightly damp cloth, but do not use water on a painted canvas. Instead, lean the canvas forward and lightly tap the frame or stretchers to cause loose dust to fall away. Then use a soft natural brush to very gently brush the canvas itself. If your painting is very valuable or is a family heirloom, it’s probably better to take your canvas to a professional for cleaning.

Acid-Free Paper and Cotton Dust Covers

To further protect paintings on canvas or board, cut acid-free paper to fit the front of the piece. If you can attach the paper to the back of the frame, board, or stretchers, do so with tape that contains a non-reactive adhesive. Then cover the piece with a light cotton dust cover.

Store Your Paintings Upright

Never stack your canvases or artwork as this may severely damage them. Even if you lay a canvas on its back away from potential harm, the canvas will eventually sag. While you can get away with laying canvases on their backs for a very short amount of time, it’s always better to keep paintings upright. Art racks are good for this purpose, as they separate each painting into its own upright rack, but if you don’t want to purchase or make an art rack, at least be sure that the artwork is not sitting directly on the floor and that there is adequate padding between pieces to prevent scratching and rubbing.

Climate Control is Necessary

Most pieces of art—especially paintings—do not handle extreme temperatures well. Nor do they stand up to very dry or very humid conditions. For this reason, pick a self storage unit with climate control. Again, if you want to store very valuable paintings and other artwork, it might be best to locate a company specializing in art storage.

By following these tips, you should be able to safely store your paintings and other pieces for a short amount of time in a secure self storage facility. Value Store It offers a wide variety of unit sizes in multiple locations in Florida, Connecticut, and New York as well as climate control options for those units. Visit our Home page to learn more about our secure facilities and to find the unit that works for you.